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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · file · roll · rash · game · pound · cap · leaves

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. game — wild animals
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. file — a tool
  8. cap — a lid
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cap — of ice
  15. file — a line of people
  16. roll — a cake
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. file — a document
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rash — a series
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com